YouTube to MP3 Converter
To convert a YouTube video to MP3, paste the video's URL into the box on this page and press Download. The audio track is extracted and converted to MP3 on the server, then downloaded directly to your device. No software or browser extension is required.
Only download content you own or have the right to save. Respect each platform's terms — this tool is for personal use, not redistribution.
On iPhone? Arca saves links like this straight into an encrypted vault — never into a shared Downloads folder.
Get Arca freeHow to download
- 1
Copy the video link
On desktop, copy the URL from the address bar. On mobile, tap Share and then Copy link. Both forms work, including the shortened youtu.be version.
- 2
Paste it above
Drop the link into the box on this page and press Download. Nothing is saved to an account — there isn't one.
- 3
The file downloads
The MP4 arrives named after the video and its uploader, so a folder full of downloads stays readable months later.
Link formats that work
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID -
https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID -
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID
Where the conversion happens
On the server, not in your browser. Some web converters ship a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg and do the work on your machine, which pins your CPU and fails on older phones. Here the audio is extracted and encoded before the download starts, so your device only receives a finished MP3.
The practical consequence is that a long video takes a moment before the download begins — that pause is the conversion, not a stalled connection.
When MP3 is the wrong choice
MP3 is a lossy format re-encoded from audio that was already lossy when YouTube stored it. For music you intend to keep, buying the track gets you something meaningfully better. For a podcast, a lecture, or a voice recording, the difference is inaudible and MP3 is the more portable choice.
Music is also where the legal exposure is real rather than theoretical. Converting commercially released music you do not own is copyright infringement in most jurisdictions, regardless of what the tool doing it happens to allow.
On iPhone
The same thing, into an encrypted vault
A browser download lands in a shared Downloads folder that other apps, backup services, and anyone holding your phone can read. Arca does this same paste-a-link step on iPhone, except the video is encrypted the moment it arrives and never passes through your Camera Roll.
Questions
What bitrate is the MP3? +
128 kbps at 48 kHz, encoded from the best audio stream the source offers. That is fine for speech and casual listening. Quality is bounded by the source either way — a quiet or low-bitrate upload cannot be improved by converting it.
Do I need to install anything? +
No. Conversion runs on the server and the finished MP3 downloads through your browser. There is no extension, no desktop app, and no account.
Is converting YouTube to MP3 legal? +
It depends entirely on the content and your jurisdiction. Converting music you do not hold rights to is copyright infringement in most countries. Converting your own uploads, public-domain material, or content licensed to permit it is generally fine. This tool does not make that judgement for you.
Other platforms
All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Arca is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by any platform named on this page. Only download content you own or have the right to save.